Laundry system using hydraulic extractor

ABSTRACT

A laundry system comprises a plurality of washing machines, a hydraulic compression-type extractor and a single extractor container with a shiftable bottom wall for holding successive wash loads to be extracted. Successive loads of loose wash are carried from the respective washing machines by a conveyor to a load-unload station whereat the wash is directed by a chute and pushed by a tamping ram into the container. The container is then shifted by an air cylinder into the extractor, the extractor is actuated to compress the wash, and the container is then returned to the load-unload station whereat an air-operated ram moves upwardly against the bottom wall of the container. A horizontal air cylinder is then actuated to shift the compressed load onto a second conveyor which carries it to a tumbling machine wherein the work is loosened and conditioned or dried. In a preferred embodiment the chute extends down the top edge of the container to direct the loose wash wholly thereinto, and is shifted laterally to a retracted position before the wash load is extracted and the container returned to the unload station. After the compressed wash load is raised to the top of the container, the chute is returned to its load position pushing the compressed wash load ahead thereof onto the second conveyor.

United States Patent [191 Miller Oct. 29, 1974 LAUNDRY SYSTEM USINGHYDRAULIC EXTRACTOR [75] Inventor: John J. Miller, Cincinnati, Ohio [73]Assignee: McGraw-Edison Company, Elgin,

. Ill.

[22] Filed: Mar. 16, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 341,997

Primary Examiner-Harvey C. Hornsby Assistant Examiner-Philip R. CoeAttorney, Agent, or Firm-George H. Fritzinger [57] ABSTRACT A laundrysystem comprises a plurality of washing machines, a hydrauliccompression-type extractor and a single extractor container with ashiftable bottom wall for holding successive wash loads to be extracted.Successive loads of loose wash are carried from the respective washingmachines by a conveyor to a loadunload station whereat the wash isdirected by a chute and pushed by a tamping ram into the container. Thecontainer is then shifted by an air cylinder into the extractor, theextractor is actuated to compress the wash, and the container is thenreturned to the loadunload station whereat an air-operated ram movesupwardly against the bottom wall of the container. A horizontal aircylinder is then actuated to shift the compressed load onto a secondconveyor which carries it to a tumbling machine wherein the work isloosened and conditioned or dried. In a preferred embodiment the chuteextends down the top edge of the container to direct the loose washwholly thereinto, and is shifted laterally to a retracted positionbefore the wash load is extracted and the container returned to theunload station. After the compressed wash load is raised to the top ofthe container, the chute is returned to its load position pushing thecompressed wash load ahead thereof onto the second conveyor.

15 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures 25 24 18" l zla l9 1 PATENTED 1 29 I974844.142

SIEH 10! 7 PATENTEDHBI 29 m4 1844.142 saw an: 1

PMENTEDHBI 29 1914 3.844.142 WEI 30$ 7 FIG.5

FIG.6

u 1 f 'IIIII'IIIIIIM PATENTEDncI 29 1914 SIEEI MIF 7 LAUNDRY SYSTEMUSING HYDRAULIC EXTRACTOR An object of the invention is to provide anautomatic system for receiving successive wash loads from a group ofwashing machines, extracting the water from the respective loads by ahydraulic extractor and then conveying the compressed loads successivelyto a tumbling machine.

Another object is to provide such a system comprising a single extractorcontainer which receives the respective loads of loose wash, is shiftedafter receiving each load into an extractor and is then returned to itsloading station whereat the compressed load is ejected and conveyed tothe tumbler.

Another object is to guide the container on a track between itsload-unload station and its extracting position by means of a guidetrack which permits the container to be raised against a press headduring the extracting operation.

Another object is to provide a chute which directs the loose wash froman overhead conveyor into the container, and an automatic ram whichtamps the loose wash through the chute into the container.

Another object is to provide such chute which extends down to the topedge of the container, and is shifted sidewise on a track to clear thespace above the container so that each compressed load can be ejectedtherefrom.

Another object is to return the chute to loading position immediatelyafter each load is ejected, while causing the chute. to push the ejectedloadsidewise onto a conveyor for transport to the tumbling machine.

Other objects and features reside in the novel construction andsubcombinations by which the aforestated objectives are carried out toprovide a fully automated laundry system.

These and other objects and features of the invention will be apparentfrom the following description and the appended claims.

In the description of my invention, reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is aside elevational view, partly in section on the line 1-1 ofFIG. 2, showing one embodiment of laundry system according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal view of a portion of this laundry system withparts in section on line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fractional exploded view, partly broken away, of thecoupling box between the extractor container and the drive cylindertherefor;

FIG. 6 is a fractional sectional view of the extractor container in itsunload position, on line 6-6 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of a second embodiment of the invention asseen from the loading conveyor;

FIG. 8 is a fractional perspective view of this second embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing only the tamping mechanism of thissecond embodiment in unoperated position; and

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view showing the tamping mechanism inoperating position.

The present laundry system comprises a plurality of washing machines 10,typically five machines in a row as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, which arepreferably of the slant-mounted type disclosed in the pending Miller etal application Ser. No. 267,485, filed June 29, 1972. Such washingmachines have rotating drums 11 open at the top to receive loads of washvia overhead hoppers 12, and have doors 13 at the bottom which are swungopen after each wash is completed to allow the loose wash to be ejectedby the rotating drum. Each such loose wash is dumped into a loadingconveyor 14 having a horizontal section 14a running alongside the row ofwashers. Beyond the washers the conveyor has an upwardly inclinedsection 14b which carries the successive loads to an elevated positionabove an unloading station 15. This is a load-unload position for acylindrical extractor container 16 into which the individual loads aredumped via a chute 17 at the end of the conveyor. The container has ashiftable bottom plate 18 (FIG. 6) which permits each load to bethereafter ejected therefrom by a ram 19 movingup from the bottom of thecontainer after the load has been extracted.

The container 16 is mounted on wheels comprising two front wheels 20aand one rear wheel 20b (FIGS. 3 and 4) which ride on a metal floor plate21. The floor plate extends in line with the conveyor 14 and has siderails 22 at the sides, and the container has respective pairs ofhorizontal guide wheels 23 at the opposite sides thereof which engagethe side rails to guide the container between its load-unload andextractingpositions and to maintain it in a fixed orientation during themovement thereof. The two support wheels 20a are bracketed to thecontainer near the side rails and the back support wheel 20b isbracketed to the container midway between the side rails with allsupport wheels directed to move parallel with the side rails.

The container 16 is moved between its load-unload position and anextracting position by an air cylinder 24 below the inclined section 14bof the conveyor (FIGS. 1, 3 and 4). This air cylinder is mounted on aframe 25 secured as by welding to an end of the metal floor plate 21.The air cylinder has a long piston rod 26 on the outer end of which ismounted a transverse metal end plate 27. Secured to this metal plateabove the piston rod 26 in parallel relation to the piston rod is aguide rod 28 which slides in bearings 29 mounted on the frame 25 abovethe air cylinder as on brackets 30 which straddle the air cylinder. Theguide rod serves to keep the end platel27 vertically oriented duringmovement of the piston rod. Mounted on the far side of the end plate 27is a block carrying a horizontal shaft 31 (FIG. 5) having couplingrollers 32 journalled on the end portions thereof. The block ispositioned in a coupling box 34 welded to a lower side wall portion ofthe container with the guide rollers 32 locked between the front andback walls of the opposite side portions of the box. The box comprises awide U-bracket 35 having upper and lower horizontal legs 32a and 32bextending away from the container and onto the lower leg 32b of which ismounted the rear support roller 20b abovedescribed. Welded between thecorners of the upper and lower legs are vertical angle irons 36 in linewith the coupling rollers 32 forming the front side wall portions of thebox. When the air cylinder 24 is actuated outwardly the rollers 32 arepressed against the back wall of the U-bracket 35 to push the containerin line with the conveyor 14 from its load-unload position to theextracting position thereof within an extracting machine 37. When theair cylinder is retracted, the coupling rolv lers 32 engage the angleirons 36 to pull the container 16 back to its load-unload position. Theheight of the coupling box 34 is such as to permit the container 16 tobe raised and lowered in the extracting machine while the piston rod 26of the air cylinder'24 remains stationary. I

A rectangular section 21a of the floor plate 21 in the extractor isseparated from the outer section and movably mounted so that it can beraised by pneumatic means H at the top of the extractor through liftbrackets L, and rods L at the sides (FIGS. 1 and 2). Such movement iscarried out at the beginning of an extracting operation to bring theupper edge of the container against a press head 38 at the top of theextracting chamber so that the wash in the container is confined thereinduring an extracting operation. During the upward movement of thecontainer the coupling roller 32 rides from the upper to the lower partof the coupling box 34. After the container is abutted against the presshead, a ram 39 in a central opening 40 of the floor section 21a israised by hydraulic means H (FIG. 1) against the shiftable bottom plate18 of the container to press the wash load against the press head 38with a sufficient force to expel the bulk of the water contenttherefrom. After the load is so compressed, the ram 39 and floor section210 are lowered, the former until it is totally removed from thecontainer, whereupon the container is drawn back by the air cylinder toits loadunload' position. Such extracting machines are well known in theart as shown, for example, by the Strike US. Pat. No. 2,549,344 datedApr. 17, 1951.

When the container 16 is returned to the load-unload position it islocked to the stationary floor plate 21 against vertical displacement bymeans of interengaging latch members between the container and floorplate at both the front and back of the container (FIGS. 6 and 7). Thelatch members at the back of the container comprise a pair of rightangle bars 41 having vertical members welded to the side wall of thecontainer on lines parallel with the side guide flanges about midwaybetween the center roller 20b and the front rollers 20a. The horizontalmembers 41a of these angle bars extend outwardly from the container at alevel flush with the bottom edge thereof. As the container 16 is movedinto its load-unload position, these horizontal members engage directlybelow a pair of offset latch members 42 secured to the bottom floorplate 21. At the front of the container there is another pair of rightangle bars 43, similar to the bars 41, welded to the side wall of thecontainer, and a set of coacting offset latch members 44 on the floorplate 21 similar to the latch members 42. These latch members 43-44 arein line respectively with the first pairs of latch members relative tothe direction of travel of the container, but the angle bars 43 are setlower than the angle bars 41 as are likewise the coacting latch members44 set lower than the latch members 42 so that the bars 41 at the backof the container will clear the latch members 44 on the floor as thecontainer'is wheeled into the extractor.

After the container reaches its locked load-unload position, the ram 19centrally positioned at the loadunload position (FIGS. 1 and 8) is movedupwardly by pneumatic means H to raise the bottom plate 18 to the topedge of the container and thereby to raise the compressed wash loadabove the container. In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1to 4, the chute 17 is in the form of a cylindrical duct having the sidethereof cut away facing the conveyor 14, and is fixedly mounted on theouter end of the conveyor section 14b. The bottom edge of the chute isspaced above the container 16 by at least the height of a compressedwash load so that the wash load will clear the chute when it is raisedout of the container. Since the chute is spaced by this distance fromthe container, an attendant is needed to pick up any loose items of washwhich may become draped over the side of the container as it is dumpedfrom the conveyor 14, and to stuff them into the container.

After a load of loose wash in the container is extracted and returned tothe unload-load position, and the compressed wash load, or cake as it issometimes referred to, is ejected from the container by the ram 19, thiscake is pushed sidewise by an air cylinder 45 over a roller or rollers46 and then further onto a conveyor 47. The air cylinder 45 is mountedon a frame 48 upstanding from the floor at the side of the load-unloadposition of the container, and has a long piston rod 49 provided with acircular pusher plate 50 at the end thereof positioned to engage acompressed wash load at a central lower portion thereof to push thecompressed wash load or cake into the conveyor. The advantage of a smallcircular pusher plate engaging the compressed wash load at a centrallower portion thereof is that it does not tend to break up the cake asit is being pushed. The conveyor 47 transports the extracted work to atumbler 51 whereat a shelf 52 at the end of the conveyor is movable intoa bridging position to guide the work into the tumbler. Byway ofexample, the tumbler is one which receives the load at its front end andwhich is afterwards tilted backwardly to eject the load at its rear end,as is described in the Curtis US. Pat. No. 3,382,587 dated May 14, 1968.Further, by way of example, the conveyor 47 may be parallel to theconveyor 14 and offset therefrom sufficiently to clear the extractingmachine 37 as is shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

In a fully automatic embodiment shown in FIGS. 7-10, a chute 53 is usedwhich extends downwardly nearly to the top edge of the container. Thischute is preferably slightly smaller in diameter than the container sothat no loose items of wash will become draped over the edge of thecontainer when the wash is dumped into the chute. The chute 53 iscylindrical but has a wide side opening 54 extending down from the topto clear the end of the conveyor 14 as the chute is shifted laterallyinto a load position at the end of the conveyor, and has a wide lip 53aat the bottom of the side opening 54. To permit the chute to be soshifted to clear a space above the container for the ejection of acompressed wash load therefrom, it is mounted on a carriage 55 havingsupport wheels 56 riding on tracks 57 at right angles to the directionof movement of the container between its load-unload and extractingpositions. The carriage 55 has a wide front wall 58 (FIG. 8) providedwith a circular pusher plate 59 which, as the chute is returned to loadposition, engages the lower part of the compressed wash load raised fromthe container to push the wash load sidewise onto a conveyor 60. Theconveyor 60, shown by example as being at right angles to the conveyor14 (FIGS. 7 and 8), carries the work to the tumbler 51. Movement of thechute between load and retracted positions is effected by an aircylinder 62 (FIG. 7) at the far end of the track 57 and having a longpiston rod 63 coupled at its outer end to the carriage 55. Thus, asingle air cylinder serves to shift the chute between its load andretracted positions and also to push the compressed wash load sidewiseonto the conveyor 60 as the chute is returned to load position.

In this automated embodiment there is a tamping mechanism 64 (FIGS.7-l0) provided to push the loose wash through the chute 53 into thecontainer 16. This tamping mechanism is mountedon a frame 65 upstandingfrom the front of the extracting machine 37. The tamping mechanismcomprises a lever 66 in the form of a U-channel having a narrowerU-channel 66a mounted on the back side thereof. The lever is secured atits hub to a horizontal cross shaft 67 positioned off from the end ofthe conveyor 14 and pivoted in bearings 68 secured to a top horizontalmember 69 of the frame 65. This lever is controlled by two air cylinders70 having their base end walls pivoted on a cross rod 72 supported byintermediate upright struts of the frame 65 and having piston rodspivoted at the outer ends thereof to a cross rod 73 in the lever 66. Theair cylinders are normally extended to hold the lever 66 in a nearlyupright position. At the outer end of the lever 66 in a vertical 'planeat right angles to the shaft 67 is a cross arm secured to the lever 66intermediately thereof. This cross arm is rigidified by braces 75 and 76between the front and back ends thereof and the lever 66. The cross arm74 is also of a U-channel form and has an air cylinder 77 mountedtherein lengthwise thereof. The piston rod 78 of this air cylinder (FIG.projects beyond the forward end wall of the cross arm and has a tampingplate 79 secured to the end thereof. This tamping plate is circular inshape but has a flat 79a to clear the end of the conveyor 140 as thetamping plate is swungdown into the top portion of the chute 53, as willappear. A guide rod 80 secured also to the tamping plate 79'is parallelto the piston rod 78 and is guided in bearings 81 alongside the aircylinder 77 to hold the tamping plate from turning.

When the air cylinders 70 are actuated their piston rods are drawninwardly to pivot-the lever 66 downwardly into a horizontal position andto swing the tamping plate into the upper part of the chute 53 with thepiston rod 78 coming into alignment with the chute. This end position ofthe lever 66 is defined by an intermediate portion of the lever engaginga fork 82 on the upper end of a strut 83 secured to the forward part ofthe frame 65 and by the lever 66 striking a tongue 84 intermediate thetwo arms of the fork. After the lever reaches this stop position, ahorizontal latch rod 85 slidably mounted between an offset frame member86 on the strut and the adjacent side arm of the fork 82 is actuatedlaterally of the strut by an air cylinder 87 mounted on the far side ofthe offset frame member, the air cylinder 87 having a piston rod 88extending through the offset frame member and secured to a plate 89welded to the latch rod 85 between the frame member andthe adjacent forkarm. By this actuation of the latch rod the same is moved through a slot66b in the lever 66 and engaged at its outer end with an aperture in theother arm of the fork 82 to latch the lever 66 to the strut so that thelever 66 becomes anchored firmly in a horizontal position.

After the lever 66 is so latched, the air cylinder 77 is actuated tomove the tamping plate 79 downwardly through the chute 53 whereby totamp all of the loose wash through the chute into the container 16.After the tamping operation is completed, the air cylinder 77 isretracted to withdraw the tamping plate from the chute, the air cylinder87 is retracted to unlatch the lever 66 from the strut 83, and the aircylinders are extended to swing the lever 66 and tamping plate intotheir raised unoperated positions.

In this automated system, a combination of electric circuits controllingthe conveyor 14 and of air valves controlling the respective aircylinders and hydraulic lifters are operated in a predeterminedsequence, as follows: (1) starting with the container 16 in itsloadunload position and with the chute 53 in load position, the conveyor14 is run for an interval until a wash load is dumped into the chute 53;(2) the tamping mechanism is actuated by the air cylinder 70 swingingthe lever 66 down into horizontal position, the air cylinder 87 latchingthe lever 66 and the air cylinder 77 pressing the tamping head throughthe chute into the container 16, and thereupon these air cylinders areretracted in the reverse sequenceto their start position; (3) the aircylinder 24 is actuated to shift the container 16 into the extractingmachine 37 and the air cylinder 62 is actuated to shift the chute 53 toretracted position which may occur simultaneously or in sequence; (4)the pneumatic lifter l-l (FIG. 1) of the extracting machine is actuatedto raise the support plate 21a to bring the top of the container 16against the press head 38 and then the hydraulic lifter H is actuated toraise the ram 39 against the false bottom 18 to compress the wash loadagainst the press head, and thereupon these lifters are retracted in thereverse sequence; (5) the air cylinder 24 is retracted to return thecontainer to loadunload position; (6) the pneumatic lifter H is actuatedto raise the ram 19 against the false bottom 18 whereby to raisethecompressed wash load or cake" to the top of the container; (7) theair cylinder 62 is actuated to return the chute 53 to load position,pushing the compressed wash load sidewise onto the conveyor 60 whichthen carries the wash load to the tumbler 51; and (8) the pneumaticlifter H for the ram 19 is retracted to start position. Thereupon theconveyor 14 is stepped ahead by another interval or intervals untilanother wash load is dumped through the chute 53 into the container 16to start another cycle. As may be desired, the conveyor 60 and tumbler51 may run continuously or may be timed to run for suitable durationsstarting at the time a compressed wash load is pushed onto the conveyor.

The embodiments of my invention herein particularly shown and describedare intended to be illustrative and not necessarily limitative of myinvention since the same are subject to changes and modificationswithout departure from the scope of my invention, which i endeavor toexpress according to the following claims:

l claim:

1. A laundry system comprising a plurality of washing machines, a singlehydraulic compression-type extractor, an extractor container having anupwardlyshiftable bottom wall, a conveyor for transporting a loose loadof wash from said washing machines to said container while the containeris in a load-unload position, a chute for directing said loose load fromthe output of said conveyor into said container, power means unloadposition to an extractor position within said extractor, for actuatingsaid extractor to compress said load, and for returning said containerwith the compressedload to its start position, a tumbling machine, aconveyor for transporting said compressed load from said container tosaid tumbling machine, and means operable when said container isreturned to load-unload position for raising said compressed load out ofsaid container and for shifting the same sidewise onto said lastmentioned conveyor.

2. The laundry system set forth in claim 1 wherein said washing machinesare of a slant-mounted type positioned along'said first conveyor andeach has a door at the lower end thereof openable to dump a wash loadonto said first conveyor.

3. The laundry system set forth in claim 2 wherein said washing machinesare mounted along a first horizontal portion of said first conveyor, andsaid first conveyor has a remaining portion in an upwardly-inclineddirection to deliver each load to an upper level above said container.

4. The laundry system set forth in claim 1 wherein said container hasfront and back support wheels, and said system includes a track forguiding said container into and out of said extractor between saidload-unload position and said extractor position.

5. The laundry'system set forth in claim 4 including a frame fixedlymounted in relation to said track, an air cylinder secured to said framehaving a piston rod in line with said track and of a length of thedistance between said load-unload and extractor positions, and meanscoupling the outer end of said piston rod to said container for movingthe container in either direction between. said positions.

6. The laundry system set forth in claim 4 including horizontallyinterengageable locking means between said container and its support atsaid load-unload position for holding the container against upwarddisplacement during an unloading operation, said interlocking meanscomprising first and second pairs of interengageable catch members atthe front and back of said container in line with said track of whichthe front pair facing said extractor are engageable at a lower levelthan the back pair so that the catch member on the container of the backpair will clear the catch member on the floor of the first pair as thecontainer is wheeled to its extracting position.

7. The laundry system set forth in claim 1 wherein the load-unloadposition of said container is one wherein the container is spaced belowthe output end of said first mentioned conveyor, and said chute is avertical tube with a wide cutout at the top receiving the output end ofsaid first conveyor.

8. The laundry system set forth in claim 7 wherein said chute is fixedlymounted in relation to said first conveyor and the bottom of the chuteis spaced above said container when in said load-unload position by theheight of said compressed load to enable the compressed load to beraised upwardly out of the container and to be then shifted sidewisetherefrom.

9. The laundry system set forth in claim 7 wherein said chute extendsdownwardly to approximately the top of said container, including acarriage for said chute and a track for said carriage extending sidewiseof the path of said container, and a second power means for shiftingsaid chute to a retracted position off to the side of said containerbefore the compressed load is raised out of the container.

10. The laundry system set forth in claim 9 wherein said carriage has afront wall engageable with said compressed load as the chute is returnedto loading position for shifting the compressed load sidewise onto saidsecond mentioned conveyor.

11. The laundry system set forth in claim 9 including a tamping ramoperable downwardly through said chute when the chute is in loadingposition to press the loose items of the wash load into said container,means for retracting said chute before said wash load is extracted andsaid container returned to load-unload position, and means forretracting said tamping ram and thereupon pushing said container intosaid extractor and retracting said chute.

12. The laundry system set forth in claim 9 including an unloading ramoperable upwardly against said bottom wall of said container to raisethe compressed load out of said container while the container is inunload position, means activating said second power means for returningsaid chute to load position while concurrently pushing said chuteagainst said compressed load to shift the load onto said second conveyorand to return the chute into load position, andmeans for thereuponretracting said unloading ram. v

13. The loading system set forth in claim 7 including a tampingmechanism having a ram operable downwardly through said chute when thechute is in loading position to press the loose items of a wash loadinto said container.

14. The laundry system set forth in claim 13 wherein said tampingmechanism includes a frame, a lever pivoted to said frame atapproximately the elevation of the output of said first conveyor, meansmounting said tamping ram on said lever for movement at right anglesthereto, a first power means for shifting said lever from an upright toan approximately horizontal position to bring said ram in line with saidchute, and a second power means for thereupon actuating said'ramdownwardly to tamp said loose items through said chute into saidcontainer.

15. The laundry system set forth in claim 14 includ ing a strut on saidframe having an upper end portion engaging said lever when the leverreaches said horizontal position,.and a third power means for latchingsaid lever to said strut when the lever reaches said horizontalposition.

- :UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE" CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,844,142 Dated October 29, 1974 Inven fl John J. Miller It is certifiedthat error appears in the aboveidentified patent and that said .LetrersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the Abstract, line 13, the following text should be inserted afterthe word "container": f

-- to raise the compressed load flush with rhe top edge of. thecontainer Signed and sealed this 14th day of e. 1975.

(SEAL) Attest: v McCOY M. 'clssonm. c; MARSHALL DANN Attesting OfficerCommissioner of Parents =0RM Po-1dso (IO-69) USCOMM-DC 6O376-P69 u.s.Govnnuinr "mums OFFICE 1 nu 0-SS6-3Jl.

1. A laundry system comprising a plurality of washing machines, a singlehydraulic compression-type extractor, an extractor container having anupwardly-shiftable bottom wall, a conveyor for transporting a loose loadof wash from said washing machines to said container while the containeris in a load-unload position, a chute for directing said loose load fromthe output of said conveyor into said container, power means forshifting said container in a path from said load-unload position to anextractor position within said extractor, for actuating said extractorto compress said load, and for returning said container with thecompressed load to its start position, a tumbling machine, a conveyorfor transporting said compressed load from said container to saidtumbling machine, and means operable when said container is returned toload-unload position for raising said compressed load out of saidcontainer and for shifting the same sidewise onto said last mentionedconveyor.
 2. The laundry system set forth in claim 1 wherein saidwashing machines are of a slant-mounted type positioned along said firstconveyor and each has a door at the lower end thereof openable to dump awash load onto said first conveyor.
 3. The laundry system set forth inclaim 2 wherein said washing machines are mounted along a firsthorizontal portion of said first conveyor, and said first conveyor has aremaining portion in an upwardly-inclined direction to deliver each loadto an upper level above said container.
 4. The laundry system set forthin claim 1 wherein said container has front and back support wheelS, andsaid system includes a track for guiding said container into and out ofsaid extractor between said load-unload position and said extractorposition.
 5. The laundry system set forth in claim 4 including a framefixedly mounted in relation to said track, an air cylinder secured tosaid frame having a piston rod in line with said track and of a lengthof the distance between said load-unload and extractor positions, andmeans coupling the outer end of said piston rod to said container formoving the container in either direction between said positions.
 6. Thelaundry system set forth in claim 4 including horizontallyinterengageable locking means between said container and its support atsaid load-unload position for holding the container against upwarddisplacement during an unloading operation, said interlocking meanscomprising first and second pairs of interengageable catch members atthe front and back of said container in line with said track of whichthe front pair facing said extractor are engageable at a lower levelthan the back pair so that the catch member on the container of the backpair will clear the catch member on the floor of the first pair as thecontainer is wheeled to its extracting position.
 7. The laundry systemset forth in claim 1 wherein the load-unload position of said containeris one wherein the container is spaced below the output end of saidfirst mentioned conveyor, and said chute is a vertical tube with a widecutout at the top receiving the output end of said first conveyor. 8.The laundry system set forth in claim 7 wherein said chute is fixedlymounted in relation to said first conveyor and the bottom of the chuteis spaced above said container when in said load-unload position by theheight of said compressed load to enable the compressed load to beraised upwardly out of the container and to be then shifted sidewisetherefrom.
 9. The laundry system set forth in claim 7 wherein said chuteextends downwardly to approximately the top of said container, includinga carriage for said chute and a track for said carriage extendingsidewise of the path of said container, and a second power means forshifting said chute to a retracted position off to the side of saidcontainer before the compressed load is raised out of the container. 10.The laundry system set forth in claim 9 wherein said carriage has afront wall engageable with said compressed load as the chute is returnedto loading position for shifting the compressed load sidewise onto saidsecond mentioned conveyor.
 11. The laundry system set forth in claim 9including a tamping ram operable downwardly through said chute when thechute is in loading position to press the loose items of the wash loadinto said container, means for retracting said chute before said washload is extracted and said container returned to load-unload position,and means for retracting said tamping ram and thereupon pushing saidcontainer into said extractor and retracting said chute.
 12. The laundrysystem set forth in claim 9 including an unloading ram operable upwardlyagainst said bottom wall of said container to raise the compressed loadout of said container while the container is in unload position, meansactivating said second power means for returning said chute to loadposition while concurrently pushing said chute against said compressedload to shift the load onto said second conveyor and to return the chuteinto load position, and means for thereupon retracting said unloadingram.
 13. The loading system set forth in claim 7 including a tampingmechanism having a ram operable downwardly through said chute when thechute is in loading position to press the loose items of a wash loadinto said container.
 14. The laundry system set forth in claim 13wherein said tamping mechanism includes a frame, a lever pivoted to saidframe at approximately the elevation of the output of said firstconveyor, means mounting said tamping ram on said lever for movement atright angles thereto, a first power means for shifting said lever froman upright to an approximately horizontal position to bring said ram inline with said chute, and a second power means for thereupon actuatingsaid ram downwardly to tamp said loose items through said chute intosaid container.
 15. The laundry system set forth in claim 14 including astrut on said frame having an upper end portion engaging said lever whenthe lever reaches said horizontal position, and a third power means forlatching said lever to said strut when the lever reaches said horizontalposition.